Environmentalists Call On Governor To Ban All Types of Fracking, Not Just Some

Rally-goers lined up with signs Wednesday evening in Oakland Park to spell out their message for Gov. Ron DeSantis: "Ban Matrix Acidizing." The type of fracking uses acid to extract oil from underground.

Caitie Switalski
/ WLRN

To mark Ron DeSantis's 100th day in the Governor's office, environmentalist groups gathered across several cities in Florida on Wednesday for a day of action to ban all forms of fracking, the controversial oil-drilling technique, in the state.

A small group of about 20 people gathered in front of the state Department of Economic Opportunity in Oakland Park in the early evening to call on the governor to ban all forms of fracking, and not just some.

"We can say it any one of a thousand different ways: we need to ban fracking," Susan Steinhauser organized the rally.

Increased protections for the Everglades could be added to a controversial measure that would ban the oil- and gas-drilling technique known as fracking.

After about 90 minutes of public comment, the Senate Agriculture Committee delayed a vote until at least next week on the latest Senate anti-fracking proposal (SPB 7064). The delay will give time to consider changes based on testimony Monday, committee Chairman Sen. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, said.

The White House is reportedly considering plans to auction off Florida’s coastal waters to search for oil and natural gas.

But that may be a hard sell in the Sunshine state.

Offshore drilling is deeply unpopular in Florida, among both the general public and lawmakers. Even Republicans have warned it could cost the president support in a state that less than six months ago approved a constitutional amendment banning the practice in state waters.